Things one middle-aged economist finds interesting

Conservatives in politics and in the media and on the web are generally nuanced and back their positions with serious arguments. Liberals in politics and in the media seem to settle for emotional appeals and namecalling. The liberals I know aren’t like that, but the public voices of liberalism are. Why the difference? Why does simplistic namecalling work on the left, managing to attract the votes of moderates as well as those of true believers?

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Conservatives in politics and in the media and on the web are generally nuanced and back their positions with serious arguments. Liberals in politics and in the media seem to settle for emotional appeals and namecalling. The liberals I know aren’t like that, but the public voices of liberalism are. Why the difference? Why does simplistic namecalling work on the left, managing to attract the votes of moderates as well as those of true believers?